First Vacation
by Phire Phoenix
Summary: -Being Rewritten, new Chapter 2 up- Summer before fifth year, Sirius gets cleared. With the permission of Dumbledore and the addition of a lot of wards around his newly acquired home, he plans on giving Harry the vacation he's never had. AU. RR, CC
1. The art of intimidation

_**IMPORTANT**_: The story's being rewritten. So ... if some things don't correspond, don't worry about it. The actual pranks and events, as disgusted as I am with them, will probably remain more or less in tact. if chronological problems appear, try re-reading them for inserted breaks in between or something.

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First Vacation 

By Phire Phoenix

Chapter One

The Art of Intimidation

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"Sirius!" Harry exclaimed when he blinked the brilliant rays of the suns out of his eyes and noticed who exactly was standing on the porch of Number Four, Privet Drive. "What are you doing here?" He asked, torn between ecstasy and bewilderment, shielding the glare of the sun with his arm. His godfather beamed down at him, clad in jeans and a t-shirt, with baseball cap set atop his head. For a moment, Harry wondered how Sirius pulled off looking so...Muggle. But he waved that out of his head as he simply drowned in the happiness of seeing his godfather again. Although it had been only 3 weeks since they parted at Hogwarts - a period of time a lot shorter than what he was use to - that was not to say that he didn't miss his family. 

"Well? Aren't you going to ask me to come in?" Sirius quipped up, laughter in his voice. He seems a lot happier. And better groomed, too, Harry added to himself with a smile. The elder wizard's formerly matted hair was now combed and cut, which is more than what could be said for Harry's own mop. When he first met Sirius in his third year, he would not have hesitated to write him off as the murderer he was falsely rumoured to be. Now, he could have been taken for any father, or uncle, eagerly picking his little kid up.

"Uh, yeah..." Harry said slowly, a smirk tugging at his lips. He indicated for Sirius to lean over and whispered something in his ear. Sirius' grin widened, and he nodded. Harry was just about to turn around and call to his aunt and uncle when a booming voice drowned him out.

"Who's that standing at the door??? If he's selling something, tell him we don't want it!!!" Vernon hollered, rounding the hall to see where in the "hell that ungrateful boy had gotten to". His uncle, partly the source of his misery and a rather large man, stopped short when he saw Sirius.

"I don't know who this man is, he wanted to see you, Uncle Vernon" Harry told him innocently, resisting the urge to laugh. The confusion his uncle was displaying as well as the minimal flash of recognition told him that his Uncle does not remember who Sirius Black is. Pity, the high-pitched girly scream would've provided him with quite some amusement. He backed away as his uncle came charging down the hall.

"Yes?" He demanded, glaring at aforementioned Black. "Who are you and what do you want? I'm a busy man!" Vernon snapped, his complexion ruddy. Sirius reached over and extended a hand, careful that his wand should poke out a bit from his pocket, smiling cordially.

"Hello. I don't believe we've met. I'm Sirius Black, Harry's godfather."

Uncle Vernon's face turned white faster than Harry thought possible, and he glanced at Harry nervously before turning his attention the man he thought a murderer standing at the door. Harry stifled a snicker. This is what he had been visualising since he found out about Sirius and everything connected with his godfather. Of course, he never actually thought it would happen, but now that it did, it seemed almost exactly the same to his daydreams.

"W-Well, c-c-come on I-in then..." His uncle was stuttering. The man Ron so charmingly described as a 'Beetroot' was trying to check out the neighbourhood without Sirius noticing. He seemed to be more scared of his neighbours. After a furtive glance left and right, he shushed Sirius into the living room, all the while trying to be polite. Harry finally let out a snigger, earning him a glare that clearly stated 'one more sound from you and you're getting it'. He, however, was unperturbed. He nodded his head towards Sirius, who was regarding the Muggle objects with interest, and smirked. Vernon glared at him again, but couldn't do anything.

"I'm here to discuss Harry's custody with you." Sirius stated, not wasting any time with chitchat. Vernon's eyes widened, and he called up the stairs for Petunia. Dudley's head poked from the kitchen, and waddled over when he saw Harry, standing opposite of Vernon. He apparently thought his cousin was getting a lecture from his dad.

'I'll be getting my stuff!' Harry mouthed to Sirius, who gave him the thumbs-up. Harry pushed past his aunt, who wore a scowl on her face and was drying her hands on her apron. She leered at him as he went past and hurried into the living room, where Harry heard her give out a gasp, followed by a yelp on Dudley's behalf. He looked back to see Dudley waddling out of the living room again, a look of horror plastered on his face. He must have noticed the wand sticking out of Sirius' pocket. Harry smirked.

"Let's spare the niceties, and move right on to the legal parts." Sirius said, pacing around the room, stopping once in a while to observe the couple's faces, smirking all the while. "Right now, you are registered as Harry's legal guardians by wizard law. The files in your Muggie Offices..." Sirius stopped and waved this away "are all fabricated using magic. As I have been in the unfortunate circumstance of being in prison for committing murder, I was not able to take Harry into my care, nor were any of James and Lily's friends as they were either aurors or dead." He paused to smile sadly, not noticing the perplexed look the Dursleys gave them. "Muggles are so inefficient, taking years for a mere adoption" He scowled.

"Of course, with the Ministry of Magic, everything would be a hell of a lot easier." He continued, sitting down with a sigh on the couch opposite the Dursleys. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Dudley poking his head around the door, surveying the scene. The moment the boy noticed the wizard's penetrating stare he withdrew from the conversation. Sirius laughed inwardly and drew a roll of parchment from his back pocket. "When Harry was sent to you, everything had been taken care of. Now, in the same manner, everything will be taken care of, again. All you folk need to do is sign in various places. Then we'll send different enchanted copies to the Muggle Agencies. These enchantments will change their, um, what do you call " He shook his head at the word, as though it was the most unreasonable word in the universe.

Vernon looked at Petunia, who looked at him. They snatched the roll of parchment from Sirius and began to read. Sirius smiled.

"Of course," He stated, choosing his words carefully. "If you told a mass murderer - my track record is 13, if you cared to know - that his only reason for living was to be taken away from him..." He stopped to savour the effect these words had on the Dursleys. A shriek, followed by a clatter, could be heard immediately outside the door, announcing Dudley's unfortunate attempt to run away. Petunia paled, while Vernon turned a lovely shade of puce.

"Oh, and to save yourself the trouble of asking, yes I am threatening you." Sirius stated with a trademark Marauder grin, seeing Vernon open his mouth to say something.

At this point, Harry reappeared, heaving his trunk into the living room. "So!" He said cheerfully, looking around them all. "What have I missed?"

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oh, and instead of a long author's note, I'm going to incorporate all the explanations into the various chapters, while tweaking a lot of out-of-characterness. Enjoy! ) Don't forget to review -grins- Thanks muchly! 


	2. Murderer on the loose

First Vacation

By Phire Phoenix

Chapter Two

Mass Murderer on the Loose

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"You should've seen Dudley sprawled over the carpet in the front hall" Harry laughed as he slipped into the front seat for a car Sirius had mysteriously managed to procure. Sirius called out a cheery goodbye to the Dursleys.

"Oh, your aunt and uncle's reactions more than make up for it." Sirius told him with a twinkle in his eyes. "After all, it's not everyday an escaped convict threatens them." He informed the astounded boy with a wink. The latter, unable to control his laughter, exploded.

Sirius just grinned as he tapped the steering wheel of the car twice with his wand. The engine ignited smoothly, and when Sirius whispered "Lion's Den" to the overhead mirror, it manoeuvred itself from the parallel parked position and headed for the highway.

Harry smirked. "Bet Uncle Vernon's happy. He got rid of me AND saved his own skin." Sirius reached over and ruffled his hair, to loud protestations. A driver in a blue Suzuki glanced at their car, his eyes turning the size of dinner plates when he noticed that Sirius didn't have a single hand anywhere near the steering wheel. Harry laughed - everything seemed to be funny, today.

"But on a more serious note, why are you here? I mean, isn't it dangerous???" Harry asked Sirius more than a little nervously.

"Well young Harry, I guess you don't get the Daily Prophet where you lived." Sirius chuckled. Harry's jaw dropped.

"Daily Prophet. You don't mean ... " He looked at Sirius incredulously, wondering if this is a joke.

"Yup! I've been cleared." Sirius laughed, seeing his stunned expression. "You should have seen Fudge. That imbecile of a minister won't last for long. The whole tribunal voted for my innocence, then he got up on the table and started ranting about how I was guilty. The council seemed pretty taken aback, and they were whispering like Fudge belonged in St. Mungus'."

"But, h-how..." Harry stuttered, still disbelieving. Sirius chuckled again.

"Let's just say that our favourite rat isn't nearly adept a spy as ours." Sirius grinned at that. "He was caught by animagus detection charms Arthur had set up around the Atrium at the Ministry."

Harry snorted. "Bet old Voldie isn't too happy about that!"

"Nope! Especially since there were complications with the rebirth potion, what with his servant owing a wizard's debt to his enemy and all that." Sirius waved away Harry's astounded look. "Veritaserum gets useful at times, you know. So word has it he's hiding out until a counter to the blood-bind can be found"

The car steered itself off the highway. Instead, they were now cruising along a country road, surrounded by large expanses of lush green fields. Harry was just thinking how perfect this location would be for quidditch when his thoughts were cut off by what felt like a strong gust of wind passing through his body. "Anti Muggle Wards. And...various others." was all Sirius gave by way of explanation.

The enchanted vehicle shuddered to a stop in front of a large mansion. A click met their ears when the boot sprung open and Harry's trunk was levitated slowly out of it.

"Nice service." Sirius grinned, while Harry gaped at the mansion. Or rather, the people lounging around on the front lawn of it.

"What are you doing here??" He shouted happily, running ahead to Ron, Ginny, Fred, George, Arthur, and Molly. Ron, hearing his voice, jumped up to meet him. A useless gesture, seeing how he was bowled over by Harry again the next second.

"The Daily Prophet announced the news three days ago," Ron laughed, pushing Harry off of him. "Yesterday, we got the owl from Sirius. He's inviting Ginny, twins, the Hermione and me over for the rest of the summer! My parents are here just to greet their new neighbour." At this point, he dropped his voice to a low whisper. "And Percy, well he says he's here to apologize on behalf of the Ministry. Whatever that's supposed to mean."

Harry beamed, before realizing what Ron said. "Neighbours?" He asked blankly. "You mean..."

"Yeah!" Ron grinned happily, pointing to the north. A small paddock raised on a hill, and surrounded by trees loomed into view.

"Bloody Hell! You guys live that close?" Ron nodded. They looked back at the adults. The twins were carrying Harry's trunk to the house. Arthur and Molly Weasley were shaking Sirius' hands and Percy observed them from a distance. Only now did Harry notice an 8th figure, standing near them. Dobby the house-elf was watching them shyly, and quickly turned away when he noticed Harry's stare. "What's Dobby doing here?" He muttered to Ron. His friend shrugged.

"I think Sirius let him stay with you guys after he heard that 'Great, Noble Harry Potter be in need of a House Elf'" Harry slapped Ron; he didn't have to stretch his imagination very far to see Sirius trying, and failing, to pry Dobby off of him.

"Hey Dobby. Nice to see you again!" He said cheerfully, turning to the aforementioned elf. "What are you going here?" Dobby scurried forward.

"Harry Potter!" He squeaked, seemingly unable to contain his excitement. "Dobby is ever so grateful to have this opportunity to work for Harry Potter, sir! Dobby could hardly believe his little ears when professor Dumbledore informed Dobby of Master Sirius' wishes, sir! Dobby is extremely honoured to have this opportunity...."

"Uh, um, that's great! Why don't you come in?" Harry cut him off before he gained momentum, unsure of how to react to Dobby's undying loyalty and untiring enthusiasm. Dobby nodded happily, his ears flapping. They walked in the house with Dobby listing all the virtues of Harry, Ron laughing his head off, and Harry trying - in vain - not to blush.

Sirius glanced around the living room twenty minutes later, smirking.

"Your parents sure are trusting!" He told Ron, with an mischievous twinkle in his eyes, "leaving you here, all alone with a murderer and all that!" Harry snorted, but was driven into the sofa by Sirius the next moment. "What, you doubt my prowess?" Ginny rolled her eyes, smiling.

"Come on." Sirius told them a moment later. "We have to go pick up Hermione. I told her I'd be there at 3 o'clock. It is now..." He glanced at his watch and yelped. "...five after three!!! Come on, Harry, HURRY!!" He laughed at his own joke, before holloring towards the kitchen. "Hold the snacks, would ya?" And without waiting for a response, he led them to the card. Before closing the door, he paused and yelled once again. "AND TELL THE TWINS WHERE WE ARE!!!" He shut the door, muttering nervously about making first impressions while Harry, Ron, and Ginny went ahead, laughing at Sirius' predicament.

"Don't worry." Harry quipped cheekily. "If Hermione's parents don't approve of you taking care of us for a couple of weeks, you can always threaten to off them." Sirius paled at that, and Ginny swatted at Harry's arm.

"If you send him into shock, Ron is _not_ driving!"

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Thanks for reading! Please review! 


	3. Police? AHHH!

PP: Hey!!! Thanks for the reviews!!! I have eleven now!!! YOU REALLY LIKE ME!!!  
  
YPP: Like you my foot.  
  
PP: Take a look at these!!! *puts reviews in front of face*  
  
YPP: I don't care. Like you my foot.  
  
PP: *Sigh*  
  
Disclaimer: I don't remember whether I've done one last time, so I'll do it again. I own nothing. Null. Zip. Nada. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"AND TELL THE TWINS WHERE WE ARE!!!" He shut the door, muttering something similar to 'some host I am, abandoning my guest because I forgot another guest..."  
  
Hermione got into the back of Sirius' car, smiling happily. "It's really nice of you to invite us for the summer, Sirius!" She told him as she clipped on the safety belt. Ron, Ginny and Sirius looked a bit guilty. They didn't have their safety belts on, trusting magic to take care of everything. Sirius quickly closed the contraption and started the engine.  
  
"Oh it's nothing." He muttered, waving a hand. Harry was sitting in the front seat beside his godfather, his face shining like the setting sun. Sirius did a series of complicated twirls with his wand and tapped the steering wheel, muttering, "The Lion's Den."  
  
"The Lion's Den?" Harry repeated, confused. Sirius turned to look at him in surprise.  
  
"You mean I haven't told you yet?" He asked, leaning over and ruffling Harry's hair. "Our house is called The Lion's Den. I thought it'd be appropriate since I was in Gryffindor, you are in Gryffindor, your friends are in Gryffindor and the décor is Gryffindor colours. That doesn't mean we can't accommodate a little Ravenclaw, though." He added, winking at Harry, who blushed a deep red.  
  
"How'd you know?" He demanded. Hermione snickered, while Ginny and Ron were shaking with silent laughter. "Ron!!!" Harry said, purposefully drawing the name out to make it sound threatening. Ron stopped abruptly and stared at his friend innocently. "What?" He couldn't help the smirk that crept into his face though, the smirk that soon ascended into a grin. "Ron!" Harry said again, though he was laughing too. He grabbed the water bottle sitting on the floor and squirted water on his friend's face. (I would have him perform a charm, but there's the whole underage wizard thing)  
  
"Watch the water, the car is brand-new!" Sirius commented, though he didn't seem to mind that much. What mostly tipped them off about his indifference was his mischievous bout of water shot straight at Harry, as he seemingly reached for the bottle to get a drink of water.  
  
"HEY!" Harry protested, wiping the water off his face. He attempted to shoot back, but at that moment, Ron retaliated with some wet tissues, making him duck. What he didn't count on was that the bottle that he snatched back from Sirius was still open, and a second later, the jet of liquid landed on Hermione and Ginny, who both squealed and got out their wands. They were all distracted by a blinking light coming from behind them. Harry looked in the rear-view mirror and winced.  
  
"Uh-Oh." He muttered. "Police." Only Hermione understood the seriousness of this situation as she quickly told everyone to put away their wands, or rather, anything magical that they might carry, and attempt to dry off their clothing. When Ron wasted the fifth tissue trying to get the liquid off his shirt, Harry, was checking that everyone's seat belts were secure. He instructed Sirius to undo the spell he had on the steering wheel, and as quickly as possible, explained the situation to him.  
  
The police car pulled them over. "Hello mates." He greeted them cheerfully, but Harry was still a bit jumpy. "You were going just a mite fast back there. Nothing to worry about. Are you lot ok?" He asked, trying to peer into the car, where Ron was giggling, rather girlishly. "Can I just see your license then?" Harry panicked. License??? Did Sirius even have one???? Oh god, they were doomed. They would need a Ministry Squad to memory wipe this guy. It would go down on their records, oh god, they were doomed.  
  
Sirius, however, smiled and pulled a little booklet from his pocket (In Germany the licenses are little booklets, so I'm assuming that England is closer to Germany than it is to Canada) The officer inspected, declared himself satisfied, and tipped his hat to them. He got back into the car and drove off. Hermione sighed with relief, unlike Ron and Ginny, who don't really know what just happened.  
  
"Where'd you get that license?" Harry inquired curiously, as Sirius tapped the steering wheel again.  
  
"Ministry." He said calmly. "Any wizard who buys a car has to check with the Ministry. Since wizards can simply do charms, a license is issued a galleon each. Of course, if you actually want to learn how to drive, that'd cost ten galleons." Ron whistled.  
  
"Ten galleons. Wow, that's two-thirds the price of a Lockhart book. It's pretty cheap!" Sirius laughed. "Here we go."  
  
They stopped in front of the house. The twins had already gotten out their broomsticks and were flying around the house. Harry glanced about worriedly, but there was a small range of trees surrounding the house, shielding them from sight. He chuckled at himself. 'The offence's I've had with the Ministry, I guess, kind of made me suspicious.' He told himself. Sirius tapped him on the shoulder.  
  
"Come on." His godfather told him, levitating Hermione's trunk. "Show you your rooms!" Harry nodded, but was more inclined to hurry when Ron yelled, running after Sirius:  
  
"Last one there is a rotten Slytherin!!!"  
  
***  
  
"Made it!" Harry panted, as he clung to the wall for support. Behind him, Ginny and Hermione were sprinting across the lawn. They reached it at the same time, Ginny slightly more out of breath than Hermione. Ron and Sirius grinned at them. Fred and George were sticking their head inside already.  
  
They entered and walked past the living room. Sirius made a big show of introducing everything. "This here, is called the living room. It's where we have fun. This little baby is called a sofa, and this is called a bookshelf. Those sheets of paper bound together you see ON the bookshelf are called books. This little thing standing beside the bookshelf is called a plant. This particular one is - " He broke off, because he'd received multiple punches in the arm from the friends.  
  
"Oh stuff it!" Harry told him, laughing. Sirius smirked and led the way upstairs, explaining along the way.  
  
"There's a bathroom, the kitchen, the living room and a study on the first floor. In the basement, there's quite a nice little surprise waiting for you guys." His eyes twinkled and he opened the door to the landing. It showed a very long hall. Harry was a bit surprised, but figured he shouldn't have been. The house was huge. Sirius led the way, opening each of the doors in turn. He reached the first door. There was a pair of socks painted on a piece of wood hanging on the door.  
  
"Let me guess, Dobby." Harry, Hermione and Ron said simultaneously. Sirius nodded. They opened the door. There was a small bed in the middle of it. A huge dresser stood to the left and a night table to the right. There was a bookshelf as well, and it seemed to hold books which touched on the subjects cooking, cleaning, and gardening. A radio stood on the night table, as well as a lamp, and a fish was swimming in a fish tank. Everything was spotless.  
  
"Guess old habits die hard!" Harry commented as they moved on to the next room. He counted under his breath. There were 10 rooms on that floor! The next one was painted soft blue and soft green. A canopy bed stood against the corner, right beside the window. A night table was right beside it. A dresser, a bookshelf, a writing table, a trunk and a showcase were all to be found in that room.  
  
"Remus'" Sirius announced happily. Harry gaped. "You mean Lupin is going to live with us??" Sirius nodded, beaming. "Oh, and did I mention that I'm going to be getting a girlfriend." He added, looking at Harry anxiously. Harry grinned.  
  
"Bring her back, and I'll think about it." He said, laughing.  
  
"WHY YOU!" Sirius threatened, though he was smiling. He knew that Harry had given an implied consent. Besides, no girl was worth having if Harry didn't like her. "And this is going to be her room." Sirius said, opening the next door. It was pink. Not the shocking kind of pink like the dresses Aunt Petunia loves, but a lovely pale shade of pink. It looks quite similar to Remus' bedroom, except that the canopy bed was pink, and it stood in the middle against the wall, with two night tables. There was a small dresser and a small table. Harry grinned (A/N: You're going to be seeing that word a lot.) "What makes you so sure she'll like the colour pink?"  
  
Sirius winked. "All girls do." He said confidently, to the protests of Ginny and Hermione.  
  
"So not true!" They said together, smirking. "I like blue!" Hermione told them. "And I like green!" Ginny declared. Sirius scratched his head. "Oh what a shame, I've made your guest rooms bright pink!" He chortled at the squeals given by the girls.  
  
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PP: Hehe. Not much of a cliffie, but I bet some of you are dying to find out what Harry's room is going to be like.  
  
YPP: Dying my foot.  
  
PP: Would you QUIT saying that?  
  
YPP: Quit my foot.  
  
PP: You just like the expression, don't you?  
  
YPP: *nod nod* I mean, like, my foot. 


	4. Where the heck is Ron?

PP: HEY! Thanks for the reviews guys! I'm really grateful. So here's the chapter, posted by yours truly.  
  
YPP: Yours truly who?  
  
PP: It's an expression, idiot.  
  
YPP: Yours truly means idiot??  
  
PP: *Sighs and Shakes head*  
  
PS: Sirius is going to be making a lot of stereotypes in this fics, not only for girls, but also for teenagers, muggles, etc. Don't flame me for that. It's going to be a running gag. And also, I've got a little plan in mind for Sirius' girlfriend, and that's why he already has a room for her.  
  
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"So not true!" They said together, smirking. "I like blue!" Hermione told them. "And I like green!" Ginny declared. Sirius scratched his head. "Oh what a shame, I've made your guest rooms bright pink!" He chortled at the squeals given by the girls.  
  
"Don't worry." He assured them, walking to the next room. "The colour can all be changed with a simple charm." They sighed with relief. The next room had a normal door, although the carving was slightly more intricate. Little vines around the frame could be discerned if one looked closely, and in the middle of the door, chiselled in perfect calligraphy, were the words "Harry James Potter" Harry smiled and hugged his godfather before entering.  
  
The sight knocked them all out. It was larger and more magnificent than ANY of the other rooms. Almost like a master bedroom, Harry thought as he eyed the contents. It was at the very end of the house, so two grand windows were on the northern and eastern wall. In front of the window was a large writing desk. It had a leather mat for letter writing, and to one side of the mat was a set of Deluxe Writing Kit.  
  
The room itself was painted red and gold in just the right blend. Gryffindor lions adorned the walls in different positions, looking down at them, On the western side of the room, a huge canopy bed with blue covers took up most of the place, as well as an exquisite little night table. In front of the window stood a little stool and an easel, ready for use. A book case occupied the space beside the writing table.  
  
At the foot of the bed, a large armoire had been placed against the wall. Upon opening, it revealed a complete set of new Hogwarts robes as well as several dress robes in various colours, though green seemed to be the most common. A full length mirror hung on the back of the door, quite reminiscent of the mirror of Erised except for the carvings and the base. Between the door and the bookcase, there was a glass owl perch, quite delicate looking, and a leather armchair. Hedwig was already on her parch, her amber eyes fixed on Harry.  
  
The latter was speechless. He kept turning around the room, spinning until he was dizzy, and still he couldn't take everything in. His friends reacted the same way, lost in the magnificence of this room. Harry thought that Ron would surely be jealous, but his friend simply gaped at the room, mouth wide open. Sirius grinned.  
  
"So, uh, you like it?"  
  
Harry exploded. "LIKE IT???" He thundered, still keeping his eyes on the Lions, which seemed to smile a bit. "I LOVE IT!! I BET NOT EVEN KINGS HAD IT THIS COMFORTABLE!!!" Sirius chuckled. "It's wonderful, it's unimaginable, it's...magical." Harry breathed. Fred and George seemed to have forgotten their names as they looked around the room, and Hermione and Ginny simply stood there, not unlike some statues, unable to say a word.  
  
"Uh...Don't you think we should go see the other guest rooms...?" Sirius suggested, though his happiness at Harry's satisfaction shone through That room hadn't cost him that much. Barely the price of the Firebolt, though Harry seemed blown away. He didn't tell Harry, though, that at the bottom of the armoire, the there was a secret compartment full of his parents' stuff.  
  
Ron nodded, and tore his eyes off the glass perch. He trudged back to the hall, which by now seemed rather dark and gloomy, though it was well lit by the light that shone through the window at the end of the hallway. The room opposite of him beckoned invitingly, and he stuck his head in without waiting for the others.  
  
"Ron?" Harry asked suddenly, making them all jump. "Where did Ron go?" Sirius shrugged. Although Sirius had proposed going through the other rooms, everyone seemed more inclined to stay here. Now they were all looking around the room, but there wasn't a place where a fifteen year old could hide very well. "Maybe he went into one of the other rooms." Harry suggested absentmindedly, strolling out of the palace-like room that now belonged to him. His friends followed him, albeit a bit unwillingly.  
  
"The five rooms on this side of the corridor are all the same, they're all guestrooms." Sirius explained as he opened the door, and peered into it. "While we're looking for Ron, we might as well look at the room." He opened the door a mite wider and the friends stepped through. This room was furnished exactly like Sirius' future girlfriend's room. As Sirius explained, all the guestrooms were exactly alike, though there was a small stock of furniture that the guests could charm into their room for their temporary use.  
  
When everyone stepped inside to look around further, the door shut with a snap. They whipped around, but no one was there. Harry suddenly clapped a hand to his forehead and started to laugh, earning bewildered looks from his friends and his godfather. He sat down on the bed and surveyed the group, which was still huddled in the middle of the room, with interest.  
  
Suddenly, Hermione squealed and clutched at her hair, Fred and George burst out laughing as if they had been tickled, Ginny blushed furiously as her hair stood on end and Sirius spun around looking for someone invisible. This only made Harry laugh harder. Hermione glared at him, and, tapping Sirius' shoulder, whispered something into the only adult's ear. The latter nodded at her and took out his wand. He flicked it in the air three times and muttered 'Ersherius'  
  
At once, Ron appeared, by the window and clutching his stomach in silent laughter. He didn't seem to have noticed that the Invisibility Cloak, which he filched from Harry's Trunk without anyone noticing, had slipped off due to Sirius' charm. Harry crossed the room, tapped his shoulder and pointed to the group of annoyed people leering at him. His laughter subsided rather quickly. He then muttered a quick explanation to Harry and bolted out of the room, escaping Fred and George's attempt at his capture.  
  
The twins sprinted after their brother, and a moment later returned with the mischief-maker. Hermione chuckled and whispered something to Sirius again, who laughed and said 'Tarategella!' A tickling charm hit Ron as he doubled over with laughter, gasping for breath. The others walked out, leaving him on the floor, laughing like there was no tomorrow, wearing identical smirks on their faces. Harry was last to go, but as he was underage, he couldn't do anything. Sirius stuck his head in and grinned at his godson.  
  
"Think he's had enough?" He asked, smiling. Harry nodded, an equally bright beam on his face. Sirius sighed in mock disappointment and undid the charm. Ron got up, tried to smother the aftermath of the laughter, then ran down the hall after Hermione, who shrieked and skipped down the stairs as fast as possible. The three remaining Weasleys looked at each other and jumped after the two, eager to see the outcome of this pandemonium.  
  
By the time Harry and Sirius got downstairs, Ron had Hermione pinned on the sofa and was tickling her, demanding she ask for Mercy. When she finally got enough breath to do so, she gasped the word out and threw a pillow at Ron when he let go. Harry laughed, feeling that this vacation is going to be better than any other combined.  
  
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PP: Yeah, I know, that was really sucky. I had Writer's Block for most stories, except Camp Flamethrower, but I didn't feel like writing a lot.  
  
YPP: You still haven't told me why you would call yourself an idiot!  
  
PP: I didn't.  
  
YPP: Yeah you did...you said 'posted by yours truly' and then you said that yours truly meant idiot. And since you're the one posting the chapters, it's natural to presume that you mean yourself.  
  
PP: Uh...Excuse us while I sort this out. *yanks Yami by ear behind stage and yelling is heard* 


	5. I'm gonna getcha good

By the time Harry and Sirius got downstairs, Ron had Hermione pinned on the sofa and was tickling her, demanding she ask for Mercy. When she finally got enough breath to do so, she gasped the word out and threw a pillow at Ron when he let go. Harry laughed, feeling that this vacation is going to be better than any other combined.  
  
"So what are we going to do tonight, Sirius?" Harry asked the next evening, when they've all unpacked their stuff and had a good rest.  
  
"The same thing we do every night, Harry." Hermione said solemnly, though the ghost of a grin shone through. None of the wizards got the joke. Harry smirked at once.  
  
"What? Have a pillow fight?" Hermione beamed. Last night, after Ron and her had calmed down enough to eat dinner, another argument had broken out over dinner table, concerning Quidditch. Hermione insisted that the Heidelberg Quidditch team was a lot better, and obviously, Ron disagreed. The verbal fight had continued through dessert, and after dinner, where it ended in a, yes, that's right, pillow fight. Ron winked at his friend.  
  
"No..." Sirius said, drawling lazily. None of them noticed a mischievous glint in his eyes. "It's time for your surprise." He got up from the sofa and stretched. The lot of them were sitting in the living room, minus Fred and George, who were upstairs, experimenting with something. Harry had been slightly worried at the damage this wonderful house would most probably take when the twins were together, but Sirius shook it away. At that moment, George bounded down the stairs, closely pursued by Fred whose hair, which had been dyed neon pink and green, stood on end.  
  
"You're gonna get it George!!!" He hollered. George laughed and ducked behind Sirius, though not before launching a handful of sprinkles at the curious group. In a minute, all of their hair changed. Hermione squealed when her hair slowly started to float up and started to turn black. The hair, though not the person, looked strangely reminiscent of Vegeta, a character in a comic book she'd glanced through when she was younger. Apparently, this powder turned your hair into whatever hair you despise the most.  
  
Harry spent less time shrieking, and more time chasing. After glancing in the mirror, and noticing with a glare on his face that his hair had been turned golden and stood out in little tufts all over his head, he jumped over the sofa and joined Fred in his hunt for his brother. Sirius just chuckled as he touched his blue and white hair, which had been magically prolonged so they fell past his shoulders, though Ginny reacted less amiably when HER hair was pulled into a mountain, a rather sharp one at that, on the top of her head.  
  
With Harry and Fred pursuing, George didn't a ghost of a chance. He was soon backed into a corner, laughing hard despite the bag Harry received from Fred, and another one in his twin's hand. Harry nodded to Fred, and, grinning widely, sprinkled the contents on George the same time Fred did. They, apparently, were different powders, for not only did George's hair turn into a cyan Afro, but his clothes changed most ridiculously, too. He had been wearing a t-shirt and jeans, but these had been replaced by a hula skirt, like the ones they wore in Jamaica, with matching hoops and hair band.  
  
The room erupted in laughter as George positioned himself before the mirror. Fred grinned and slapped Harry's hand. In between bouts of laughter, Sirius managed to motion for them to follow him. He walked towards the basement, slowly because he kept clutching his ribs. "But how can you do magic if you're underage and it's the summer?" Hermione asked anxiously, the first to recover from the joke and the first to think of the more, eh, responsible things. George just winked, to her great annoyance. Ron smirked at Harry, knowing Hermione couldn't stand to have someone know more than she did.  
  
"Here we are!" Sirius announced. The basement was furnished, and there were some rather curious magical instruments that Harry had once seen in Professor Moody's office.  
  
"You're an auror?" He asked, astonished. The others, who didn't recognize the instruments, looked at Harry, then Sirius, in amazement.  
  
"Ex-auror" Sirius corrected gently. He looked around the room. "Ah yes, I used to be. Fought alongside your father until he started working in the Secret Service. The main reason Voldemort wanted to kill your dad was because James rooted out many Secret Lairs and revealed some of his best men. I do not know why he wanted to kill..." Sirius trailed off, trusting that to be enough. (This is not going to develop a plot. I refuse to add one!!! I need fluff without plot!!!)  
  
"My dad was an auror?" Harry asked, even more astonished. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Sirius couldn't help laughing at his godchild's expression. He led them to a table, at the far end of the room, on which lay several wooden sticks, looking for all they knew like wands, though there wasn't the familiar tingle in the air if several wands occupied the area.  
  
"These," Sirius declared, "are some of MY inventions." He looked rather proud of them. He picked them all up, and handed one to each of the young wizards except for Fred and George. Their names were engraved on them in gold. Harry whistled. After four years in the wizarding realm, he had a very, let's just say, mischievous feeling about these wooden sticks. After examining it thoroughly, and securing that they weren't wands, he looked up at Sirius.  
  
"They are wands." Sirius told him, shattering his observations. "Special wands." He added, at Hermione's incredulous look. "They can be used during the summer, well, actually anytime. But the best thing is, they have been coated with an Invisibility Charm, one of my private discoveries that make them invisible to the magic detectors that the ministry uses to keep a tab on underage wizards." Harry blushed a bit.  
  
"So that means, as long as you use these wands, you can do magic all you like without the ministry knowing." The last was said to a lot of cheering and whooping, and Sirius had to shout over the noise. Hermione looked a bit suspicious. There had to be a catch. There always is. "Although any of them can be deactivated with my real wand! And you can't do any of the unforgivable curses with them!" Sirius smirked, confirming Hermione's theory.  
  
Harry scoffed. Who's going to go ahead and do one of those curses? He tried it out, waving it in the air and saying 'Wingardium Leviosa!" loudly and clearly. He pointed it at a Sneakoscope, which floated up in the air. After five minutes, when nothing happened, when no owl swooped in the door, and down the stairs to drop a letter telling them Harry was expelled from Hogwarts for using magic during the holidays a second time, cheering broke out once more. Sirius was soon surrounded by the curious teenagers who had, in all fairness to them, a lot of questions.  
  
They woke up at ten o'clock the next morning, having slept off the effects of the magical tricks they had cursed each other with. Sirius was already downstairs, humming a song and waving his wand about, cooking. Dobby was doing the dishes from the night before. Harry burst out laughing at the sight.  
  
"You know what, Sirius?" he asked playfully, thumping his godfather on the shoulder. "You need a girlfriend. Stat." Sirius ignored him except for a quick pat on the back, which was harder than it should've been. A smile spread across his face when he saw Harry stagger forward, almost crashing into the sink.  
  
"You know what, Harry?" Sirius said, showing his teeth in a grin. "I can deactivate your wand."  
  
Harry got the point, and walked back upstairs to change. Even at the top of the landing, he could hear bouts of laughter from the kitchen, in between phrases of "I've never seen him move so fau see his expression?" Ron was getting out of his room, rubbing his puffy eyes.  
  
"Miss anything?" He asked groggily. Harry shook his head.  
  
PP: Hey, that wasn't so bad.  
  
YPP: mimics Hey, that wasn't so bad.  
  
PP: Stop it!!!  
  
YPP: mimics Stop it!!!  
  
PP: Are you copying me?  
  
YPP: mimics Are you copying me?  
  
PP: Yami Phire Phoenix loves Duke Devlin, and hates Yami, and is about to have an affair with Yami Bakura even though she's going out with Otogi. smirk  
  
YPP: mimics Yami Phire Phoenix loves...WAIT A MINUTE!!!  
  
PP: Haha, sucker. 


	6. Baby Sisters

Sirius let them do whatever they wanted that day. He had a mysterious smile on his face, so Harry simply shrugged and collected his Firebolt. With the special wands in effect, he could very easily charm an invisible dome around the miniature Quidditch field close to the Lion's Den so that they could play Quidditch, and that's exactly what he did. He, Ron, and Hermione played against Ginny, George and Fred. Sirius had given them some old Quidditch balls to practice with. They had a Chaser, a Keeper and a Seeker. Only one Bludger was let out due to the fact that they had no Beater...  
  
Sirius watched them dart around the air from the upstairs window before descending to the kitchen. He whispered some instructions to Dobby, whose ears perked and eyes lit up. The little house elf got to work at once, bustling around and singing 'The Sock Song'. Sirius smiled and shook his head. Ducking into the fireplace, and spreading Floo Powder, he called, clearly and crisply "Howler", and disappeared instantly.  
  
Meanwhile, Ginny was trying to convince Fred to let her be the Seeker. On the other team, things had been fairly easy. Harry was Seeker, naturally, and Ron and Hermione had no problem splitting up the positions, since Ron wanted to be Keeper and Hermione Chaser. But on this team, since the actual team members couldn't resume their original positions, they had taken up other spots. George claimed the title of Keeper, but obviously, both Ginny and Fred wanted to be Seeker.  
  
"Well Sirius' broom is a heck of a lot faster!" Ginny argued, glaring at her big brother. Fred scratched his head and looked at George quizzically. One glance seemed to tell the former something, for a grin tugged at his lips when he turned back to Ginny. Swinging one foot over his Clean Sweep, he prepared for take off. "What?" Ginny asked suspiciously, narrowing her eyes. She didn't trust her big brother any farther than she could throw him, and for those smart alecks who think that she could be very strong, she isn't.  
  
"Nothing. You can be Seeker." Fred replied with a carefree air that only served to make his little sister even more suspicious. "It's just that..." And here, he positioned himself on the broom, leaning forward so that he could kick off at any given time, "I should be looking out for my baby sister, shouldn't I?" Ron guffawed when Ginny turned crimson and Fred kicked off, rising steadily and halting in front of the hoops. However, he was forced to move out of the way - and fast - when Ginny mounted HER broom and streaked towards him, vengeance in her every move. Harry tore after them, closely followed by Ron, George and finally, though not reluctantly, Hermione. The Quidditch game soon turned into a game of tag. The four magical balls lay forgotten, on the ground beside one of the hoops.  
  
"Score, Hermione one, Ron zero!" Fred declared after ten minutes. The twins, Harry and Ginny were sitting on the grass, watching two figures zoom across the sky. Ron had taunted, well, not exactly taunted, but teased Hermione about Victor Krum, sending the clever witch after his blood. The others stopped flying after a while, watching this fascinating spectacle as Hermione urged her broom to catch up to Ron. She had gotten the point when she made a beautiful dive, grabbed some pieces of grass and hovered in the air. Ron, rather confused, lowered his altitude.  
  
But then, she rubbed the grass into his hair, causing green streaks. Now she had become the hunted as she laughed happily and eluded Ron. "You gotta try out for the Team next year!" Harry hollered, watching both of them pull loop-de-loops. "Both of you!" Fred smirked and nudged George.  
  
"Looks like you just got the Captain's position!" George told Harry, who turned to him instantly, a faint blush creeping into his cheeks.  
  
"I didn't mean, I thought, that wasn't..." Harry stammered, sending the twins into a fit of laughter at his embarrassment. "Don't worry." Fred said, trying to calm himself down. "Neither George nor I want to be Team Captain, Angelina already expressed her impression at your skills and both Katie and Alicia are graduating." Harry flushed deeper. George laughed again.  
  
Hermione landed on the grass next to them, startling the boys who had been too busy, wrapped up in their own little conversations. Dobby came out of the house and told them that lunch was reading. All at once, the six kicked off and sped towards the house, scaring the little house elf into shielding his face with long, thin fingers. Hermione slowed down enough to mutter an apology, but picked up pace again when her stomach reminded her that she was hungry. Very hungry.  
  
They burst into the kitchen, clamouring for food, with Dobby trailing behind them. The kids seemed rather like preteens than fifteen and seventeen year olds. The poor House Elf had a rather hard time preventing George and Fred from upsetting the stew, Ron from raiding the refrigerator and Harry from accidentally pouring a couple of boxes of biscuits on the floor. It was then that the five young magicians noticed the three people sitting at the table, looking on with interest.  
  
One of them was Sirius, and he was dressed in his best Dress Robes. The dark blue matched his dark hair perfectly. The second wizard was young, although his hair was streaked with white. His robes were a dark green, and he looked calm, though amused, as he sat there, sipping tea. It was Remus.  
  
"LUPIN!" Harry exclaimed, hunger forgotten. Remus extended his arms and Harry jumped into them. He had always thought of Remus as a second Sirius Black. A second Godfather. Ron grinned happily and Hermione wiped an imaginary tear, sending Ginny into a fit of giggles. Remus pushed Harry out of his embrace and indicated to the third person sitting at the table. It was a witch.  
  
She had long, dark brown hair that reached to her waist, though at the moment it was pulled back in a ponytail. Her blue eyes twinkled happily as she took in every member standing or sitting in the kitchen. A pretty face, and as far as Harry could tell from the eyes, a pretty soul. It was always said that the eyes were windows of the soul, and Harry never doubted that for a second. He had liked Ron, and Hermione, too, because they had a kind twinkle in their eyes. Harry scoffed softly, suddenly realising that he sounded like Professor Trelawney. He turned his attention back to the girl. She was just about Sirius' age, but she seemed slightly younger.  
  
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught his godfather blushing as he stole a glance at the beautiful witch. Although she wasn't a Veela, she has certainly captured his godfather's heart. Was she the girlfriend Sirius had in mind?  
  
Lupin spoke at that minute, breaking his train of thought and Sirius' stare on the girl.  
  
"Meet Rellis, my baby sister." 


	7. We're off to the pool

PP: *Sigh* I wish people would visit my site. It's not fair. Nobody comes to my site  
  
YPP: Aww, poor PP.  
  
PP: *grin* She's been in a good mood ever since I started writing "Dear Phire" In my journal every night  
  
Disclaimer: I don't even know what story this is going to be yet since I have just about a coupla million running. Well, more like 5, and one inactive, but...  
  
Ok, I'll be writing The First Vacation since that's probably going to be the shortest one and the sooner I get it out of my way, the better.  
  
I do not own Harry Potter. End of Story. Period. Fini. Adios. That's all, folks. Au Revoir. Hasta la Vista. Auf Wiedersehen. Tschuss. Ciao. Sayonara. Zai -  
  
YPP: I think they get the point, dear.  
  
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Recap: "Meet Rellis, my baby sister."  
  
She smiled sweetly at them before thumping Remus painfully on the back. He stumbled forward, rubbing the place she'd hit. "What'd you do that for?" He complained jokingly. "I am not a baby!" She stated firmly, although a grin lit on her face. Remus laughed, as though this was an old, worn-out but well-loved argument. Harry stared. He didn't know Professor Lupin had a younger sister...and a tomboy-ish yet beautiful one at that...  
  
Hermione broke the stares Harry, Ron and Sirius were sending Rellis by speaking. "Hello!" She exclaimed cheerfully, rather a different Hermione from the person who poured over books all day. "I'm Hermione Granger, pleased to meet you!" She shook Rellis' hand. "And these are Ronald Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Fred Weasley, George Weasley, and Harry Potter, my friends." They had their hands shook, too. "And you know Sirius, I believe." Sirius blushed and turned around, with his back on her to help Dobby. Rellis giggled.  
  
In a small voice, Sirius told them to show Remus and Rellis where they would be sleeping. He referred to Rellis' room as the 'empty quarter' but they knew where it was...the so-called girlfriend's room. Harry sighed. Sirius was really hopeless when it came to girls. But the godfather was better than the godson. At least Sirius could joke about it, albeit not in the presence of the aforementioned girl, whereas he, Harry, couldn't even talk to her without getting his tongue all tied up.  
  
Hermione and Ginny skipped up the stairs talking cheerfully, and making no effort whatsoever to include Rellis in their conversation; they didn't need to, she joined by herself, to their delight. Even though Rellis was about ten years older than them, they seemed to have gotten off to a good start. Fred and George followed, muttering under their breaths. Ron shot his friend a knowing glance and they let out a low whistle. The twins were obviously waiting to play tricks on Rellis, who didn't know them and their prankster habits.  
  
Suddenly struck by a prank idea himself, Harry walked over to Sirius, patting him on the shoulder. "I understand, Sirius, I understand." He said heavily, while winking at Ron. Sirius lifted his head slightly, and without looking around, he replied Harry.  
  
"Yeah...Isn't she just totally hot?" Harry snickered, and Ron, who was less adept at self-control, burst out laughing. Sirius looked totally nonplussed until he turned around to face Ron. His face turned red and white alternatively. Remus was still sitting at the kitchen table, looking both murderous and amused. "Damn" Sirius muttered under his breath, letting his eyes dart around the kitchen. Even Dobby stopped stirring the soup and looked around with interest. Harry's snicker turned into laughter, and soon he and Ron were banging the counter. Sirius shot him a glare.  
  
"You just wait..." He whispered threateningly, before jumping away and yanking the door to the patio open, closely followed by Lupin. The three people left walked eagerly to the window, watching with interest as Lupin made various threats at Sirius, while chasing him all across the garden, which was rather like a park. Sirius, who had transformed into a giant black dog, was yelping and running for his life. Chuckling still, Dobby went back to cooking and the two boys started upstairs to report this newest development to the twins, Hermione, Ginny and Rellis.  
  
Rellis was obviously aware of what her brother had not been. And obviously she was less murderous about the fact.  
  
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PP: Well, this chapter is done and over with...NOT!!! : P  
  
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"Wizard's Pool?" Harry repeated doubtfully. Sirius nodded eagerly. Remus seemed to be trying very hard not to kill a member of the Marauders, and Rellis was already packing. "A wizard's pool." Harry muttered to himself, as though tasting the words with his tongue. "What's so special about that? You jump into a pool and you swim around. You can't have a lot of magical effects about that!" Hermione nodded, but the others all cackled. Suddenly, Harry wasn't so sure he wanted to know how you could get those special effects in a pool.  
  
But by now everyone seemed so eager that he resigned himself to getting his things. Hermione didn't seem to be aware of anything unusual that the pool might hold, and Harry's suspicions were let down a bit when they entered the arena. The water looked completely normal, and the people playing in there did, too. He was just about to suggest that this was a Muggle's pool when he noticed a group of people carrying wands and wearing robes come out from the change rooms. Sirius simply nodded at the person standing behind the counter, then led them inside.  
  
They boys met up with the girls outside the door to the pool. Hermione was blushing a bit in a pale blue bikini. Sirius was staring at Rellis, although when Remus noticed this, Padfoot got a rather hard club around the head. Rellis giggled again. Ginny looked very self-conscious in a pink bathing suit, but Harry thought it was cute. She blushed furiously to match her suit when Harry told her his opinion.  
  
They went in without Remus or Sirius, as Remus was busy naming the rules Sirius was to follow if he wanted to get close to his sister (this will be a stand-alone one-shot fic by itself, titled- so you want to date my sister? Look for it soon)  
  
Harry's mouth fell open at the sight. While the pool looked perfectly normal from outside, through the window, from the inside, it looked -  
  
Normal? The pool looked positively Muggle! Nothing to indicate that this is a wizard's pool apart from the wands sticking out at ever corner and the magical treats This pool had an ice cream stand, a little café, a diving zone, a shallow water zone, a splash zone ... you just couldn't get more normal than this!  
  
He glared at Sirius. Surely this was another one of his prankster tricks. But the expression his godfather was wearing on his face looked so innocent - Harry seriously doubted it could be faked. Then again, you never know.  
  
Hermione, Ginny and Rellis leapt ahead, jumping off a diving board and squealing in the process. Once they were in the water, they turned around and beckoned to Harry. "Come in!" Hermione called. "This is normal! Not at all like what Ron predicted would happen." Harry looked at her suspiciously, but decided to trust her as she, too, was a Muggle. Besides, he needed to learn how to swim properly, in case there was another nasty event that involved surviving under the lake for an hour. Of course, he had conveniently failed to notice that all three girls had their wands with them, ready to go. Not that they were aimed at him or anything, but it might have given him a forewarning.  
  
He slid into the water cautiously, trying not to sink the moment his whole body was in. Hermione was grinning at him, and waving. He gave her a small smile and climbed further. Nothing happened. Tentatively, he paddled around, testing the waters. Nothing happened. Maybe this wouldn't be too bad, after all.  
  
Then he spotted Sirius and Remus, with their wands out and smirking at him. He swam as fast as possible over to Hermione, and saw that she had her wand to, and berated himself for being an idiot. This was not gonna be pretty, he knew it.  
  
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Hey, I started this an eternity ago and finished it just now. I know it's short, but the next chapters up until the end of the story will be long. You'll be glad to hear that chapters are coming out either once a week or once every ten day, k? I'll cya guys around! 


	8. Just keep swimming

His First Vacation  
  
By Phire Phoenix Chan  
  
Chapter 8  
  
The art of swimming  
  
*** *** ***  
  
"Uh oh." He muttered under his breath, quickly calculating how fast he could swim back to the edge of the pool and pull himself out. Of course, he hadn't reckoned on Sirius and Lupin, the two remaining members of the Marauders, who were by no means ready to let him out of the pool before he got a taste of what it was really like. Ron looked like he was ready to join the fun, and even Hermione seemed slightly surprised he hadn't taken along his wand. He glanced at her helplessly and mouthed "Help me!" She snickered and whispered something to Ginny and Rellis. Harry decided to go open.  
  
"What are you guys doing with your wands out?" Sirius shook his head and spoke slowly, as one would to a dim child who had problems understanding explanations that were too complicated.   
  
"Harry, Harry, Harry." He said, wagging his finger annoyingly. This action forcefully reminded the wandless wizard with a pang of annoyance of Gilderoy Lockhart. He listened to Sirius anyway. "Four years in the wizarding realm and you still don't realize that your wand is like the air you breathe. You can't live without it. And I suppose I told everyone but you that in all-wizard facilities, such as this one, young wizards of fourth grade and over are allowed to perform spells of the third level. Harmless things. Harmless to most, that is, since in all-wizard facilities you're more or less expected to have a wand." He tutted. Harry growled at him.   
  
"Give me a couple of minutes, ok?" He asked pleadingly. He knew his godfather and his best friends very well. If they got an idea into their heads, there was no stopping them. And seeing how they would never let him out of the water to get his wand, he needed another tactic. Oh, they wouldn't let any harm come to him. But that isn't especially reassuring, what with two marauders and the twins in the group and all. He needed to get used to the water. Why didn't he learn wandless spells last year, when he was studying for the third task?   
  
With that thought in mind, he swum a couple of lengths and tried diving. In a situation like this, staying underwater for a bit at a time would actually be a good idea. He still didn't know what the exact function of the pool was, so it only seemed like a good idea. For now, let's humour him, shall we? The problem with even diving is, as he had never really learnt how to swim and the only reason he can even swim lengths is because of his hour or so underwater last year, so he couldn't possibly dive. Yes, he spent an hour underwater, that's what I said, but then he had Gillyweed, now he had lungs. Useful, aren't they?  
  
He would come up spluttering and as soon as he regained his breath, go down under again. Survival of the fittest. His friends and family were conversing in low undertones between them, shooting him a glance now and then. Harry should've paid more attention to them, or he would've noticed the smirks. He might've been tempted to surrender immediately, which probably would've been a good plan. But back on topic. After he had mastered holding his breath for five seconds, yes, holding his breath for five seconds, he decided he could brave it. He didn't think he could stand watching Fred and George smirking at him one more time. He noticed that, at least, if nothing else.   
  
"So what's the deal with the wizard's pool?" He asked, swimming over to the water-treading. Hermione looked like she was an excellent swimmer, or at least that's the impression she gave from the way she effortlessly floated around while still managing to be faster than Harry at his peak. He should try and pull her in as an ally. Rellis glanced at Hermione and smiled. Ginny grinned at both of them, and that last thread of hope was cut off. There would be no help coming from those three.   
  
"We'll let you figure out for yourself." Fred told him nonchalantly. He would've looked comical in his swimming trunks, as Harry was used to seeing his friends in pullovers and robes, but there was something about that shark-like grin on his face that squashed the desire to laugh. Hermione opened her mouth to say something, only to close it again as Rellis nudged her in the side. She had probably been about to tell him about the pool's tricks. No doubt she'd read it in one book or another.   
  
Sirius pretended to look at his watch. George looked at it, too - Sirius' wrist, that is, not his watch. He might've wanted to glance at the real thing if it had been there. At any rate, both of them started the countdown. "Five, four, three, two..." While they said this, Hermione swam a while away from the cluster and came closer to Harry. He was smiling at her foolishly and gratefully, hoping for a hint.   
  
"I'd start swimming if I were you. The pool's effects are most vigorous and noticeable if you're in close range?" Harry turned and paddled off without even saying thank you, his mind swimming with possibilities. Pardon the pun. But, what effects? What did she mean, proximity? Why would range play a matter in this. And what is going to happen to him? He glanced back. George and Sirius had stopped counting and the Rellis gave them the thumbs up. Sirius blushed, but only George noticed as next moment, both of them dove. Harry groaned. Underwater attacks. Maybe diving wasn't such a good idea after all.   
  
A wave curled up in a ridiculously exaggerated curve, like the waves that the extreme surfers would take advantage of. Harry, too busy watching the water surface and looking out for his godfather and George, failed to notice the fact that it was headed right for him. What he didn't know was that George, who was just as good as Hermione and perhaps even better, was already in front of him, watching the attack. Sirius emerged from the water and waved. He winked at George approvingly. That was when Harry turned around to face front again, only to be smothered by the wave. He sank to the bottom of the two meter deep pool. Caught by surprise, it was a while before he stopped trying to breathe through his mouth. When he remembered, he kicked upwards as hard as he could.   
  
Just as he thought that his breath would die out and he would fail to withstand the first ordeal, his head broke the surface of the water. Sirius and George were nowhere to be seen, and neither were any of the other people. The advantages of having a wand included being able to cast invisibility spells quite effectively without the hindrance of an Invisibility Cloak. Harry treaded the water, staying in one place and thinking hard. You needed to be in close proximity for the pool to take full effect. Sirius had winked at someone right before the wave hit. The others all had their wands with them. George didn't come up at the same time that Sirius did.   
  
My, my, he is a slow thinker, isn't he?  
  
He had almost come to his fateful conclusion when the water beneath him just - well, truth be told, there's not really a good word for it. Dropped away, maybe. The closest thing to it would be the parting of the Red Sea at Moses' command, but if that had happened, Harry's rear end would've been sore for weeks to come. Part of the water fell away, leaving only about a meter left and successfully making Harry splash into the remaining bit. The excess swirled up and formed a dome around him, so that in a sense, he was trapped in a water prison. Slightly panicked and fearing that this was an attack on behalf of the Dark Lord, Harry tried to swim his way out of the strange contraption. But wherever he moved, the dome moved with him. In his frustration, he didn't notice that the waterlevel was slowly rising, and the ceiling of the dome as well.   
  
It was only when he had risen completely out of the water in a translucent dome that he noticed what was happening. Wonderfully done, Harry, he told himself. Just great. Placing yourself in a position of vulnerability for all the world to take advantage of. It didn't occur to him that this was part of his friends' plan. Surprisingly enough, there was enough air for him to breath by, although he noticed that it was quickly becoming stale. What a way to go. He pounded his fists on the wall of the dome, expecting it to roll away like it did when he tried to swim away. Instead, the bubble burst.   
  
There was a moment of silence as he stayed in mid-air, not falling but not going anywhere else, either. It was a lot like those cartoons Dudley watched, where just before the Coyote fell off a cliff, he would be cushioned on air. One glance downward, however, told him what was happening. Rellis had her wand out, and was pointing it at him. She was the only one he could see though.   
  
Rellis, taking advantage of his moment of inattention of looking for the others, withdrew her wand abruptly and cast an invisibility spell on herself again. She could have performed Wingardium Leviosa while being shielded, but it was so fun luring Harry into a sense of security. Besides, the boy's either been treated like a fragile piece of glass or a dog that rolled around in something smelly. It was time he experienced something normal, like April Fools pranks played in July  
  
Harry fell. Again. And instead of falling one measly meter, he fell five. Did I mention the pool's ceiling was extremely high? Hermione quickly cast a spell on the water to make it deeper, so that Harry wouldn't hurt himself while falling down. He woudln't hurt himself on impact with the water. It was just like a cannonball dive. Ron, Sirius and Ginny each stood on a triangulated point, so that the shape they formed would be around Harry. Remus, Fred and George dove underwater, just in case something happened to Harry. Security measures were necessary. On the side, Hermione and Rellis were holding hands and muttering non-stop under their breaths.   
  
The water looked treacherous, roaring like the sea about to swallow Harry up. Those were his thoughts as he closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable. And as sure as there were 17 Sickles to a Galleon, it came. He sank into the water, this time at least remembering to hold his breath. The one thing he wished to do was to cast a spell on his friends. Then it came to him - Of course!!! The water responds to magic, whereas it normally wouldn't, because water is an element! So it obeys spells and commands cast by wizards, and in this case, his friends and family. How could have been so STUPID?  
  
Well, I'm glad he agrees with me on that count.   
  
Laughter rang through the hall. Eight different voices, Eight different laughs. Eight bodiless laughs, more importantly. Harry kicked up to the surface again, but his hand touched something on his way up. Out of instinct, he snatched it. It was a cluster of hair, and an anguish-filled 'ouch' followe by gargling and spluttering was to be heard by the seven people present. Five of them materialised, and Harry glared at Sirius, Remus, Hermione, Rellis and Ginny. He hooked an arm around the offending person's neck and said, as sinister as he could, "stop, or your friend gets it." Sirius laughed.  
  
"You know, Harry, you're not that great of an actor." Harry scowled, but couldn't quite pull it off and it turned into a grin instead. The glories of vacation. He was about to reply when he felt a wet pressure on his shoulders and he was pushed underwater again. A pair of hands pried at his arms and pried the body from him. When he came up again, panting and trying to fill his lungs with air, three more heads had joined the crowd: Ron, Fred and George. They were smirking at him goodnaturedly  
  
"So which one of you did I snatch?" He asked curiously. "I know it was one of the twins, but I couldn't tell which one." George nodded at him, a big smile still plastered on his face.  
  
"Me." He rubbed his scalp dramatically. "You must've pulled off a handful there."  
  
"Teach you for playing a trick on me"  
  
"Teach you for leaving your wand"  
  
"Teach you for..."  
  
And so they went on, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. You get the idea. Not to mention quite a few more spells were pulled on Harry, so that by the time they climbed into Sirius' car, ready to go home, Harry was clutching his head, with his eyes closed and moaning like there was no tomorrow. Remus, however, just laughed. You couldn't trick a man who's sick that often very easily, and he knew that Harry was just faking.   
  
But that didn't stop Harry from doing it anyway. It was fun.   
  
"That was some move I pulled on Harry." Rellis boasted on their way back on Sirius' magically expanded car, winking at Harry. Hermione agreed fervently.   
  
"Which one did you pull?"   
  
"The water dome. I got the inspiration from a muggle comic I was reading the other day." Hermione looked at her, a bit surprised.  
  
"You read muggle comics?"  
  
"Yup"  
  
"Which ones have you read?"  
  
"Eh, I think they were called Mang-Ga or Manga or something along those lines. They had freakish hair and huge eyes."  
  
"Get out, I love those!"  
  
"Ginny! Watch your language!" Ron protested in an imitation of Percy, earning a roundful of laughter from the group.   
  
"Makes you feel left out, doesn't it?" Fred muttered to Harry as the girls continued their discussion of Muggle comics. Harry nodded, and watched with fascination as Fred pulled a few pouches out of his pocket and handed one each to Harry and Ron. George pulled one out of his pocket, too. He glanced at the girls and the two adults before motioning for the other three to lean in closer. "Now this is what we're going to do." Fred whispered to Harry. He pointed to the pouches. "Those are magical powder we've been developing, a lot like the Hair stuff which we don't have a name for yet. Now these are in the testing stages, so the girls can be our guinea pigs."   
  
"Guinea pigs? Why guinea pigs?" Ron asked puzzledly. Fred sighed.   
  
"It's a muggle thing, bro. You'd do well to learn some of it, it'd be great as a secret language." Harry was about to point out that it was, in fact, not so different, but thought better of it. He was more interested in what the new powder did, or at any rate was supposed to do, than having an argument about Muggle Speech and Wizard Speech.   
  
"But anyway, this new powder, it writes nasty words across your cheeks. Mostly your worst nightmares. For example, if I sprayed this stuff on Ron, it would probably write "I love Malfoy" or something." Ron winced. "So we'll throw a bit of it on each of the girls, and keep quiet about it. See what it'll write and how long it'll take them to notice." Harry shook his head.  
  
"That shouldn't take too long, as they're all looking at each other. But it'd be real fun."  
  
"There are three girls and four pouches though." Ron pointed out. George rolled his eyes.   
  
"I wouldn't let a perfectly good opportunity go to waste, oh brother of mine. I'll be strewing this bag of goods on the adults."  
  
Smirks. Oh god, the smirks. They were all over the place.  
  
***  
  
All of them slept in the next day, hoping that by delaying their meeting a little longer, they would gradually forget who cast which spell on whom. Revenge was sweet, but it was painful, too. Especially at the receiving end. For in the after math of the powder, curses had started flying every which where, not even stopping when they had to get off the car. A simple Finite Incantatem cured their magical maladies, but the memory stays. And memories could be dangerous.  
  
*** *** ***  
  
How'd you like it? I'm a bit out of practice 


End file.
